Cutting-Edge Cutlery: Kitchen Knife Innovations You Should Know About
Chefs may not agree on whether a santoku or a chef’s knife is preferable for cutting beef, or whether Wusthof knives
or Miyabi knives hold a better edge. But you’d be hard-pressed to find
one of them that didn’t passionately extol the virtue of good tools and
lovingly describe the virtues of their knives.
Part of the reason for both those disagreements and their loyalty to their knives is the sheer variety of extremely high-quality kitchen knives available and the innovations continually improving them. So, if you’re passionate about cooking, take a look at the following innovations in culinary cutlery and consider choosing one, or more, to begin or improve your own set of cherished knives.
Respect the Ridge
For much of the culinary community, the seemingly-simple innovation brought by the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro 8-inch Smart Ridge Chef’s Knife sparked a collective “Why hasn’t anyone thought of that before?” As the name suggests, that innovation is a ridge in the blade about an inch above the edge. As food is cut, the ridge pushes it away from the blade, precluding it from sticking.
As a result, the Zwilling J.A. Henckels ridge knife is being hailed as one of the most user-friendly models on the market. Since it’s manufactured by the legendary Zwilling J.A. Henckels knifemakers, the Smart Ridge Chef’s Knife’s quality, edge, and balance are practically guaranteed to be among the best in the world.
Rise of the Santoku Knife
In all fairness, the santoku knife isn’t exactly a recent innovation or a just-arrived newcomer on the Western cuisine scene. They’ve been incorporated sufficiently that a Classic 18-piece Wusthof knife set includes a santoku. Not to mention that they’ve been the Japanese equivalent of the chef’s knife for decades. However, they’re new enough in the West that many still aren’t sure about their purpose or how they differ from a chef’s knife.
Basically, a santoku knife is the shorter, lighter Japanese equivalent of a chef’s knife. The santoku’s blade profile makes it less suitable for the “rocking” chopping style at which chef’s knives excel—its lean and lightweight construction, however, makes precision slicing a snap. Whether the chef’s knife or santoku is superior—while an increasingly popular debate among professional chefs—comes down to a matter of personal preference.
The Dynamic Ceramics
Whatever innovations, shapes, or features knives took, however, a blade could be trusted to remain steel. At least, that’s what most chefs thought before the introduction of ceramic knives. It’s an innovation that’s created a fair amount of controversy and resulted in some fervent pro and con camps among chefs. On the pro side, the characteristics of ceramic mean that it makes for incredibly sharp blades that last. Their blades don’t corrode or rust and don’t brown or change the taste of oils, acids, or other foods due to the absence of metallic ions. They’re also considerably lighter than steel (resulting in some being weighted to mimic the heft of steel). Doubters cite that lightness as a drawback and the fact that a special diamond tool is needed to sharpen ceramic knives. Whether or not ceramic is for you, once again, is a matter of preference. Consider giving a ceramic knife a try to see what you think of it.
About CHEFS Catalog
Since their founding in 1979, CHEFS Catalog has provided the culinary world, amateur and professional, with the highest quality cookware and kitchen equipment available. CHEFS Catalog features an incredible selection of the most reliable and dependable kitchen solutions. That selection includes the finest cutlery, cookware to complete a pots and pans set, cooking appliances, recipes, advice, and much more. Originally a cookware catalog—with Julia Child featured on an early CHEFS Catalog cover—they launched a leading-edge e-commerce site in 2017 to further share the finest-quality cookware and culinary accessories with the world.
Sharpen your skills and hone the craft of a true gourmet with the help of CHEFS Catalog, at Chefscatalog.com
Part of the reason for both those disagreements and their loyalty to their knives is the sheer variety of extremely high-quality kitchen knives available and the innovations continually improving them. So, if you’re passionate about cooking, take a look at the following innovations in culinary cutlery and consider choosing one, or more, to begin or improve your own set of cherished knives.
Respect the Ridge
For much of the culinary community, the seemingly-simple innovation brought by the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro 8-inch Smart Ridge Chef’s Knife sparked a collective “Why hasn’t anyone thought of that before?” As the name suggests, that innovation is a ridge in the blade about an inch above the edge. As food is cut, the ridge pushes it away from the blade, precluding it from sticking.
As a result, the Zwilling J.A. Henckels ridge knife is being hailed as one of the most user-friendly models on the market. Since it’s manufactured by the legendary Zwilling J.A. Henckels knifemakers, the Smart Ridge Chef’s Knife’s quality, edge, and balance are practically guaranteed to be among the best in the world.
Rise of the Santoku Knife
In all fairness, the santoku knife isn’t exactly a recent innovation or a just-arrived newcomer on the Western cuisine scene. They’ve been incorporated sufficiently that a Classic 18-piece Wusthof knife set includes a santoku. Not to mention that they’ve been the Japanese equivalent of the chef’s knife for decades. However, they’re new enough in the West that many still aren’t sure about their purpose or how they differ from a chef’s knife.
Basically, a santoku knife is the shorter, lighter Japanese equivalent of a chef’s knife. The santoku’s blade profile makes it less suitable for the “rocking” chopping style at which chef’s knives excel—its lean and lightweight construction, however, makes precision slicing a snap. Whether the chef’s knife or santoku is superior—while an increasingly popular debate among professional chefs—comes down to a matter of personal preference.
The Dynamic Ceramics
Whatever innovations, shapes, or features knives took, however, a blade could be trusted to remain steel. At least, that’s what most chefs thought before the introduction of ceramic knives. It’s an innovation that’s created a fair amount of controversy and resulted in some fervent pro and con camps among chefs. On the pro side, the characteristics of ceramic mean that it makes for incredibly sharp blades that last. Their blades don’t corrode or rust and don’t brown or change the taste of oils, acids, or other foods due to the absence of metallic ions. They’re also considerably lighter than steel (resulting in some being weighted to mimic the heft of steel). Doubters cite that lightness as a drawback and the fact that a special diamond tool is needed to sharpen ceramic knives. Whether or not ceramic is for you, once again, is a matter of preference. Consider giving a ceramic knife a try to see what you think of it.
About CHEFS Catalog
Since their founding in 1979, CHEFS Catalog has provided the culinary world, amateur and professional, with the highest quality cookware and kitchen equipment available. CHEFS Catalog features an incredible selection of the most reliable and dependable kitchen solutions. That selection includes the finest cutlery, cookware to complete a pots and pans set, cooking appliances, recipes, advice, and much more. Originally a cookware catalog—with Julia Child featured on an early CHEFS Catalog cover—they launched a leading-edge e-commerce site in 2017 to further share the finest-quality cookware and culinary accessories with the world.
Sharpen your skills and hone the craft of a true gourmet with the help of CHEFS Catalog, at Chefscatalog.com
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